With his understanding of astronomy from the civilized world, he not only saved his own and his expedition’s life, but was also treated with kindness when he set foot in the land of the aborigines.
In the ten years from 1492 to 1502, the explorer Columbus made four voyages to the New World . His first voyages were quite smooth, while on his fourth trip to the coast of Central America, he had many problems and a memorable accident, but fortunately he made it through.
On 11 May 1502, Columbus departed the Spanish port city of Cádiz aboard the ships Capitana, Gallega, Vizcaína and Santiago de Palos. Unfortunately, insects and termites had eaten through the wood on board, so he left two ships and with the other two landed on the north coast of an island in what is now Jamaica on 25 June. 1503.
Painting of the landing of Columbus on an island known to the natives as Guanahani and to him as San Salvador on October 12, 1492. He erected the Royal Spanish flagpole, declaring Western patronage. Spain for this land. The frightened Aboriginal people watched from behind the bushes. Painting by John Vanderlyn.
Initially, when Columbus’s group arrived on the island, the Arawak Indians welcomed them with a warm welcome, providing adequate food and lodging. However, the ship was stuck, time passed more and more, many things happened, causing tension between the two sides to increase. After six months on the island, more than half of the crew became violent, stealing food and killing several Arawak.
Faced with the group’s food shortage and the constant stress of the natives, Columbus devised a clever plan, although he himself felt it was not quite right.
His “savior” at that time was an astronomical book containing a detailed timeline of astronomical events that took place between 1475 and 1506, authored by the mathematician and astronomer Johannes Müller von Königsberg. German, commonly known by the Latin name Regiomontanus.
This book by Regiomontanus is of great value because it provides detailed information on the rising and setting times of the Sun, Moon and planets, as well as important stars and constellations for navigation when go on the sea. After the book was published, no sailor dared to go out to sea without it. With its help, explorers were able to confidently leave the traditional routes and reach out to new ones.
Of course, Columbus had a copy of the book himself, and he was quick to use it at a time of trouble on the island of Jamaica. He discovered that a total lunar eclipse would occur on the evening of February 29, 1504 , and that it would be nice to have the eclipse happen at exactly the same time as the moon rose.
Three days before the eclipse, Columbus asked to see representatives of the Arawak people. He warned that his God was very angry when the people on the island stopped feeding his people. To prove his words true, he said there will be a clear indication that, in the next three nights, the Moon will be immersed in a crimson color like human blood, after the event, many natural ear will fall on the people of the island.
On the evening of the “fateful” day, when the sun sets in the west, night gradually covers the sky and earth. The Moon was rising from the eastern horizon and everyone was terrified when the Moon was dyed a terrible red.
According to the son of Columbus, Ferdinand, the Arawaks were extremely frightened by this sight. They roared loudly and panicked, and some ran to their ships and immediately made concessions, offering favorable terms for the trains and asking Columbus to pray to the gods for forgiveness. their sins.
The Jamaican natives panicked and begged Columbus to return the Moon to its original state during a total lunar eclipse. (Illustration: Camille Flammarion).
Columbus agreed, saying he needed a private space to pray to the gods. He closed the door of the train and stayed inside for 50 minutes. He had previewed the timing of the lunar phases so he knew for sure when the eclipse would end. He went out and announced, God has forgiven and He will return the Moon to normal.
Soon after, just as Columbus said, the Moon gradually returned to its normal color, the red light disappeared. The Arawak people hurriedly bowed in thanks and left the anchorage area.
The crew and Columbus were warmly received by the Aborigines until his lifeboat arrived from Hispaniola on June 29, 1504. Columbus and his crew returned to Spain on November 7. same year.